shellroch285's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
4.5
I loved the narrative and persona poems in this collection! Love Poem: Griffin was my favorite. Amazing collection :))
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Rape
verydazedragon's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
3.0
I know enough to know that as far as modern poetry goes, this book has knocked it out of the park. But as for my own tastes, my own pleasure, and the way my thoughts are patterned, I felt nothing as I read. I can tell that the measure is good, and I can tell the subject matter is not written of flippantly, or with the irreverence I have come to hate in poets, but I still was not touched by them. This simply isn’t a style of poetry I have affinity with, though I do like the bestiary approach of her experiences as little monsters.
alexandra_avital's review against another edition
4.0
The book hit its stride slowly. Weirdly, it felt like it started out with the weakest poems and then built and built up to the best. The one thing that drove me crazy was how poems that seemed part of a set would be weirdly separated with a non-sequitur in the middle. That being said, when Kelly hit her stride the poems were captivating and heart wrenching.
jobinsonlis's review against another edition
4.0
Very surreal and often graphically devastating. I don't know how to judge poetry at all beyond "it sounds nice and I like it" so I will say that this debut volume had poems that sounded nice and I liked it.
blushinurcheeks's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
4.0
venusv's review against another edition
3.0
An extremely personal confessional. Absolutely stunning writing and with the use of mythical imagery. Donika Kelly isn't afraid to open up and show the reader her most intimate convictions.
kyarabereading's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
4.0
I don't often read poetry collections, so I was really excited to check this one out. It is beautifully written, it is tragically painful, it is overwhelmingly reflective - I loved those things about Beastiary. I'll admit that I don't know enough about the animals referenced in this poetry collection, and I think if I knew more, it would help me understand Kelly's poetry more profoundly. I gave it a pretty quick read, so I'm hoping to re-read it, spend a little bit more time with it, and do some research as I read so I can understand it further. I look forward to the day I pick this book up again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt